Masks Come Off
by chameleon-enigma
Summary: Takes place after the Superbowl ep. A what if Santana ran into Rachel after the Football game kinda Scenario.  Oneshot Pezberry fluff.


Don't anything remotely related to Glee nada zip zilch.

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Rachel sat alone in the make up room of the auditorium all the other girls having left long ago. She was still wearing her zombie make-up having decided to take her time removing it, this is one of the few times the make up combined with the outfit made her feel beautiful even though she was supposed to be a zombie. So while the other girls had gossiped and removed their makeup. Rachel for once sat and listened quietly while the other glee girls jabbered on. While she pretended to remove her makeup.

Rachel being so engrossed at looking herself in the mirror failed to hear the soft click of heels come up behind her.

"Still here Berry?"Santana's smooth voice spoke up from behind her.

Startled out of her reverie, Rachel let out a yelp her hand coming up to rest over her heart. "Santana! You startled me!" She frowned looking at the tan girl behind her. Who was still strangely in her Zombie make up as well. Even though she looked scarily fierce she still managed to look eerily Beautiful.

Santana just shrugged and plopped herself down into the chair next to Rachel. She didn't fail to notice Santana's eyes slowly roam over her taking in her appearance. "How come you're still here?"

Rachel felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment, "I well.."She quickly cleared her throat and shook her nerves away. "I could ask the same of you Santana, I would have thought you would be quick to shed the disguise and be off quickly with the rest of your friends."

"Had some things I wanted to do first."Santana shrugged. "Still didn't answer my question though Berry."She said not easily deterred.

"I just..."Rachel faltered for once at a lost for words.

"Wow.." Santana smirked. "I stumped the great Rachel Berry. Didn't think that question would be that hard to answer."

Rachel's cheeks tinged red thankful that her pale makeup hid her growing embarrassment. "I don't see how me still being here is really any of your business."

"Whoa chill out." Santana said quickly putting up her hands. "If you don't want to answer fine with me not like i care that much anyway."

Rachel breathed out quickly trying to calm herself. "I apologize Santana I did not mean to snap at you like that."

"It's whatever Berry, don't worry about it." Santana said as she picked up some pads and the bottle of makeup remover, and began to clean off her makeup.

Rachel looked away briefly to gaze at herself in the mirror. "I'm still here because.."she stopped for a moment taking a breath to steady herself not sure why she was going to explain herself to one of the girls that has tormented her for so long. "This is one of the few times where I look and feel beautiful regardless of the context behind the makeup and outfit." Rachel failed to notice that Santana had stopped and was now fully looking at her. " I don't normally feel this way about myself very often so i wanted this moment to last as long as possible." Santana winced knowing she has had a part in that. " For once i feel beautiful like you and Quinn, and i don't want that to go away quite just yet."

"You're pretty without the make up too Rachel..." Santana spoke up gently from beside her.

Rachel blinked rapidly and turned to stare at the girl beside her. "W...wh..What?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "You heard me."She grunted and returned to her mirror.

"Santana if this some sort of joke or elaborate way to..."Rachel started.

Santana put up her hand to silence the singer. "Do you see anyone else here Berry?"

"No..But i don't see what that has to do with you saying what you did." Rachel demanded.

"If you didn't notice Rachel, when I do mean shit to you its when others are around to see it."Santana pointed out.

Rachel crossed her arms not at all pleased. "I still fail to see what your point is."

Santana sighed shaking her head. "No one is here, its just you and me. Its a popularity game Berry, if people saw me being nice to you I'd lose my rep." She shrugged. "and I like where I am on the status quot at the moment."

Rachel just huffed. "So you like being Quinn's lackey and at the bottom of the pyramid then."she shot at Santana.

Santana's head snapped in Rachel's direction glaring daggers at the smaller girl. "I am no ones 'lackey'

and i was only there because Blondie didn't have the balls to earn her spot back on her own without backstabbing one of her friends" Rachel thought she saw a small amount of hurt flash across Santana's face before it was quickly pushed away.

"Well now you aren't on the cheerios anymore. I think your popularity is going to change soon." Rachel said.

"We'll see, I can still kick people asses in or out of my uniform."Santana said coldly

"I'm glad you decided to come help us with the halftime show."Rachel said quickly desperately wanting to change the subject in case it led to her being ridiculed in some way.

"I didn't want to be at the bottom anymore, and we couldn't risk Brittany getting killed in that canon." Santana shrugged. "It was a no brainer."

"Didn't seem that way. It took Finn to get the three of you to come back."Rachel said.

"Q couldn't make up her mind. I sure as hell wasn't going to leave by myself if she decided she didn't want to quit, and i knew she'd come around eventually" Santana explained.

"I heard what you did for the guys though, that was pretty brave of you."Santana said with a small smile.

Rachel blushed. "It was the right thing to do, I'm sure the boys would do the same for us, if something like that ever came up."

"Hmm that's debatable." Santana shrugged. "Wish i could have been there to see it."

"You didn't really miss all that much, I for the most part just laid there as soon as they snapped the ball." Rachel said being quite humble for once.

"I bet you looked cute in the uniform though."Santana smirked.

Rachel stared at Santana not believing her ears, did she really just say that?

Santana started to laugh at Rachel's expression which in turn turned into a full body laugh that the brunette is sure she has never heard come from the Latina.

Rachel's shocked expression turned into a frown. "Santana i would appreciate it if you would be so kind as to stop laughing at me. I'm tired of being at the brunt end of your ridicule."

Santana shook her head, her laughter dying down to a soft chuckle. "I wasn't making fun of you, its just the way you looked after i said that was so priceless i couldn't help myself. I'm sorry."

Rachel crossed her arms now looking at Santana with a curious expression. "I think that is the first time you've ever apologized to me and meant it."

"Please Berry, I only ever call you out when you deserve it."Santana rolled her eyes. "I just say the shit people wish they could say."

"Well that is certainly true."Rachel nodded. "But I certainly didn't deserve what happened to me during glee that day before sectionals."

"You're still bent outta shape 'bout that?"Santana sighed while she rubbed more of the makeup off her face. "I did that because people deserved to see what a dick Finn could be." Her hand that was resting on the counter clenched into a fist, an angry frown slowly creeping onto her face. "Besides no one gets away with saying I'm 'not worth it' No. One." Santana glanced at Rachel a moment then continued. "Besides you deserve better then him anyway. Like honestly why would he need to lie about being with me. He wasn't even with you when he did it, and you we're with Jesse St. Deusche bag. So..." Santana shrugged.

"How would you know that I deserve better..." Rachel asked quietly.

Santana having fully finished removing her make up and turned to face Rachel, who was shocked to see a little flicker of compassion behind Santana's normally indifferent facade."because I just do Rachel. You deserve someone that will actually listen to you through your endless babble fests and will tell you how beautiful you are even when you don't particularly feel that way."

"And who will challenge you and call you out on your shit. Someone who is up with you on a intellectual level as well as Emotional. Don't settle for some one that has the maturity level of a toddler and the IQ of an apple." Santana said getting up moving to leave. "And I meant what I said earlier Rachel. You are Beautiful with and without the make-up. So just own it already." She said with a genuine smile before she turned and left. Leaving Rachel to sit and simmer on what the Latina had just said to her.

After a few moments a smile slowly crept across Rachel's face as Santana's words gradually began to sink in. She sat up straighter her shoulders squaring as she turned confidently to look into the mirror as she removed the last confines of the mask of make-up covering her face.

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A/N: O_O my first fic In sooooooooo long literally. But don't be afraid to give me criticism at all i can take it, i actually want it. I wants to gets better at dis thing they call writing! This was just meant to be a one shot, but if people really want I will try to continue it. I also have a Santana/OC fic in the works that was really kinda just for my own amusement. A what if Rachel had a twin kinda thing. But if people want I can post it. Anyway sorry for the long Note.

Read & Review please :D


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